1箴言的功用
1Proverbs of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel:
2要使人晓得智慧和教训，了解充满哲理的言语；
2For knowing wisdom and instruction, For understanding sayings of intelligence,
3使人领受明慧的教训，就是公义、公正和正直；
3For receiving the instruction of wisdom, Righteousness, judgment, and uprightness,
4使愚蒙人变成精明，使少年人获得知识和明辨的能力；
4For giving to simple ones — prudence, To a youth — knowledge and discretion.
5使智慧人听了，可以增长学问，使聪明人听了，可以获得智谋；
5(The wise doth hear and increaseth learning, And the intelligent doth obtain counsels.)
6使人明白箴言和譬喻，懂得智慧人的言词和他们的隐语。
6For understanding a proverb and its sweetness, Words of the wise and their acute sayings.
7不受恶人的引诱敬畏耶和华是知识的开端，但愚妄人藐视智慧和教训。
7Fear of Jehovah [is] a beginning of knowledge, Wisdom and instruction fools have despised!
8我儿，要听从你父亲的教训，不可离弃你母亲的训诲。
8Hear, my son, the instruction of thy father, And leave not the law of thy mother,
9因为这些要作你头上的华冠，作你颈上的金链。
9For a graceful wreath [are] they to thy head, And chains to thy neck.
10我儿，如果坏人引诱你，你不可随从他们。
10My son, if sinners entice thee be not willing.
11如果他们说：“你跟我们来吧！我们要埋伏流人的血，我们要无故地潜伏伤害无辜的人；
11If they say, `Come with us, we lay wait for blood, We watch secretly for the innocent without cause,
12我们要好像阴间一般，把他们活生生吞下，他们整个被我们吞下，如同下坑的人一样；
12We swallow them as Sheol — alive, And whole — as those going down [to] the pit,
13这样，我们必得着各样贵重的财物，把掠物装满我们的房子。
13Every precious substance we find, We fill our houses [with] spoil,
14加入我们的行列吧！我们大家共用一个钱袋。”
14Thy lot thou dost cast among us, One purse is — to all of us.`
15我儿，不可和他们走在一起，禁止你的脚走他们的路；
15My son! go not in the way with them, Withhold thy foot from their path,
16因为他们的脚奔向邪恶，他们急于流人的血。
16For their feet to evil do run, And they haste to shed blood.
17在飞鸟眼前张设网罗，是徒劳无功的。
17Surely in vain is the net spread out before the eyes of any bird.
18他们埋伏，是自流己血；他们潜伏，是自害己命。
18And they for their own blood lay wait, They watch secretly for their own lives.
19凡是贪爱不义之财的，所走的路都是这样；那不义之财夺去了贪财者的性命。
19So [are] the paths of every gainer of dishonest gain, The life of its owners it taketh.
20当听智慧的呼唤智慧在街上呼喊，在广场上扬声；
20Wisdom in an out-place crieth aloud, In broad places she giveth forth her voice,
21在闹市中心呼叫，在城门口发出言语，说：
21At the head of the multitudes she calleth, In the openings of the gates, In the city her sayings she saith:
22“你们愚蒙人喜爱愚蒙，好讥笑的人喜欢讥笑，愚昧人恨恶知识，要到几时呢？
22`Till when, ye simple, do ye love simplicity? And have scorners their scorning desired? And do fools hate knowledge?
23你们要因我的责备回转，我就把我的心意（“心意”或译：“灵”）向你们倾吐，把我的话指示你们。
23Turn back at my reproof, lo, I pour forth to you my spirit, I make known my words with you.
24我呼唤，你们不肯听从；我伸手，没有人理会。
24Because I have called, and ye refuse, I stretched out my hand, and none is attending,
25你们既轻忽我的一切劝告，不肯接受我的责备；
25And ye slight all my counsel, And my reproof ye have not desired.
26所以你们遭难的时候，我就发笑；惊恐临到你们的日子，我就嗤笑。
26I also in your calamity do laugh, I deride when your fear cometh,
27惊恐临到你们好像风暴，灾难如同飓风来临，患难困苦临到你们身上。
27When your fear cometh as destruction, And your calamity as a hurricane doth come, When on you come adversity and distress.
28那时，他们必呼求我，我却不回答；他们切切寻找我，却寻不见；
28Then they call me, and I do not answer, They seek me earnestly, and find me not.
29因为他们恨恶知识，不选择敬畏耶和华；
29Because that they have hated knowledge, And the fear of Jehovah have not chosen.
30不接受我的劝告，轻视我的一切责备；
30They have not consented to my counsel, They have despised all my reproof,
31所以，他们必自食其果，必饱尝自己所设计谋的伤害。
31And they eat of the fruit of their way, And from their own counsels they are filled.
32愚蒙人的背道必杀害他们自己，愚昧人的安逸必毁灭他们自己；
32For the turning of the simple slayeth them, And the security of the foolish destroyeth them.
33唯有听从我的，必安然居住，得享安宁，免受灾祸的惊恐。”
33And whoso is hearkening to me dwelleth confidently, And [is] quiet from fear of evil!`